Supermarket News
"I can't be Jim Sinegal, I can only be Craig Jelinek," says the incoming CEO of Costco Wholesale Corp. "Nor am I interested in 'making my mark' on this company. I've spent 28 years working with 'the legend,' and hopefully I've learned a lot from him." Sinegal, 75, the co-founder of Costco, announced plans earlier this month to retire on Jan. 1, though he will stay on for a year in an advisory capacity. Costco operates three businesses, Jelinek noted -- the core warehouses (521 in the U.S., 63 outside the U.S.); eight business centers in the Western U.S.; …
Engadget
Photo-sharing service Flickr has unveiled its first Android app, along with a new social feature known as Photo Session. The Android Market app allows users to snap, filter and upload photos directly to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr, from their handset. It also features an array of camera functions like flash, ratio selection, and shutter focus, along with ten high-quality filters. Photo Session, meanwhile, allows you to browse through images in real-time. Users can create online session for group photostreams, where when one moves to the next image, one's friends will, too.
The Boston Globe
Talk about establishing your brand. The bank was first Staten Island Savings Bank, then Staten Island Bancorp, then Independence Community Bank, then Sovereign, as it came under the Boston-based bank's umbrella. Now it is changing its hood ornament again to Banco Santander, reflecting the $1.9 billion acquisition. The Spanish bank, which bought Sovereign in 2009, plans to replace the Sovereign brand with Santander as early as next year, according to executives briefed on the decision. Sovereign has nearly $77 billion in assets and 723 branches in nine states.
Time To Play
Trade journal for the toy industry, Time to Play, has its yearly list of top games for the holidays. Topping the list is an interesting reversal, a digital phenomenon that is now an old fashion wooden board game: "Angry Birds Knock on Wood" by Mattel. Next is Bayblade, which gets big design improvements "to engage a whole new generation of kids." Third is Big Action Construction site by Fisher-Price, followed by DaGeDar by Cepia, and FyrFlyz by i-Star Entertainment.
The New York Times
QSR chains like Starbucks, Sonic and Guy & Gallard, the New York chain - have been experimenting with adding alcohol to their menus. British chain Prêt a Manger is thinking of putting wine in Paris stores and Burger King last year began selling beer at Whopper Bars in the United States. But some of the chains are finding that consumers don't think a value meal needs a good glass of wine. Not to mention the problems around permits, training a staff that has high turnover, slowing down service when IDs have to be checked, and finding a dedicated …
The New York Times
Leo Burnett is heralding its arrival in New York City with a campaign called "New York Writes Itself," at www.NewYorkWritesItself.com, where visitors can post stories, comments, or anything else about NYC life. There is no requirement that the posts on the online forum have anything to do with advertising, marketing or media. "New York Writes Itself is creativity inspired by the streets of New York," says the home page of the Web site. There are also social media elements and a YouTube channel that features a video clip in which the New York actor Kevin Conway plays "the …
San Francisco Chronicle
Now it's about the bottles as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo battle it out over sustainability. In 2009 the Coca-Cola Co. said it would sell its Dasani water products in bottles containing up to 30% sugarcane-based polyethylene terephthalate plastic, or PET, calling the "PlantBottle" as the latest in eco-friendly food packaging. Then PepsiCo in March said it had developed PET containers that were 100% petroleum-free. "There's a lot of pressure. Everyone's always followed Pepsi and Coke," said Ed Glatzer, director for commercial development for IHS, a global consulting firm. "Sustainability is the catch word." Plastics account for about 4% of …
USA Today
Doritos, for its 2012 Super Bowl contest, it is pitting consumers against Hollywood, with the winner -- the consumer -- getting a job. The brand, which has let consumers make its Super Bowl advertising is launching a competition between its consumer-created Super Bowl spot and an official Doritos spot to be created by a production team known for Saturday Night Live digital shorts. At stake: a possible $1 million prize - and a guaranteed gig to create a future Doritos commercial with The Lonely Island, the Hollywood team that's created Grammy-nominated I'm On A Boat, Lazy Sunday and …
The Boston Globe
Newton-based Zeo's Zeo Mobile product, a $99 headband worn at night that communicates wirelessly with an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone and shows charts of how much time one spent in light, deep, or REM sleep - or awake -- will be available at Best Buy stores in November. And the company has also scored with Apple Stores throughout Europe.
The Chicago Tribune
Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers Center is opening this week in Chicago, from whence the Academy Award winner hails. Hudson has lost 80 pounds and is a Weight Watchers spokeswoman. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to attend the event in the city's Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side. Weight Watchers says it will donate a portion of the center's revenue to a foundation in honor of Hudson's late nephew, Julian King. In October 2008, the bodies of Hudson's mother and brother were found in the family's home. King's body was found days later in a vehicle. All three …